Sammy Hagar Has Given Up on Van Halen Reunion Hopes

Sammy Hagar said he’s given up hope of a reunion with Van Halen, citing the lack of communication on his 70th birthday as the reason he’s sure it won’t happen.

In recent years, he’d talked up the possibility of another Sam and Dave tour, featuring both himself and David Lee Roth taking turns at the mic with the band they both sang for. But he’s now said he’s “over” the idea.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with those two brothers, man,” he recently said of Eddie and Alex Van Halen on Eddie Trunk’s SiriusXM show. Referring to former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony’s grandson, who died when he was 2 weeks old earlier this year, Hagar noted, “For them not to do anything for Michael’s grandson, and then again on my birthday … I didn’t expect it, I really didn’t think about it. But people keep bringing it up: ‘Oh, you must have heard from the brothers. Did Eddie …?’ No.

“All that says to me is that it’s over," Hagar continued. "Those guys do not want to be friends. And if they don’t want to be friends, then we certainly ain’t gonna do a reunion, ‘cause that would mean I would just do a reunion for some money or something. I would love to do it for the fans, I really would – but other than that, nah, I’m over it.”

You can hear the interview below.

Earlier this year, Hagar claimed the potential reunion, which he also wanted to include Anthony, would cause fans to “die and go to heaven.” “The competition for that would be great," he said, noting that Roth would "do ‘Panama’ and ‘Runnin' With the Devil,’ and I’d be going, ‘Damn – I gotta step up!’ I’m up for it.”

But Hagar admitted that work would have to be done on some personal relationships. “For nine years, Eddie and I were neighbors and writers together," he explained. "Best friends. I don’t know if we can ever get along again because it got so bad.”

For his own part, Anthony said in June that he felt the time was right for a return to the band. "You obviously see all of these other bands doing it these days," he said. "And also for Van Halen’s fans. Maybe some kind of proper closure or something. I’m not sure. Everybody in the band is still relatively healthy and alive."